Insoluble fiber does not absorb or dissolve in water. It passes through our digestive system in close to its original form.
Contents
Uses
- Insoluble fiber offers many benefits to intestinal health, including a reduction in the risk and occurrence of hemorrhoids and constipation. The scientific names for insoluble fibers include cellulose, lignins, and also some other hemicelluloses. Most of insoluble fibers come from the bran layers of cereal grains.
Benefits
- Weight loss: Like soluble fiber, insoluble fiber can play a key role in controlling weight by staving off hunger pangs.
- Digestive health: Eating lots of insoluble fiber also helps keeps you regular, and if you do get constipated, adding more of it to your diet can get things moving. Insoluble fiber can also improve bowel-related health problems, like constipation, hemorrhoids, and fecal incontinence (problems controlling your bowel movements.)
- Insoluble dietary fiber from the plants moves through the digestive system essentially unchanged. It is not digested, and it does not provide energy (calories). Instead, fiber adds bulk to the waste (stool or feces) in the large intestine (colon). Increased bulk causes the walls of the intestine to contract rhythmically (peristalsis), so that waste moves through the large intestine more rapidly. In the colon, most of the water in digested food is reabsorbed into the body, and then the solid waste is eliminated. By passing through the colon more rapidly, less water is reabsorbed from the waste. The stool remains soft and moist and is easy to expel without straining.Good sources of insoluble fiber include:
- whole grains and foods made of whole grains, such as whole wheat bread and whole wheat pasta, couscous, or bulgur
- bran and bran breakfast cereals
- brown rice
- carrots, cucumbers, and other raw vegetables
Soluble fiber is found dissolved in water inside plant cells. Like insoluble fiber, it is not digested and does not provide energy, although it may be consumed by bacteria that live in the digestive tract. In water, soluble fiber forms a gel-like substance. This gel absorbs water and helps to keep the stool soft. Good sources of insoluble fiber include:
- oatmeal and foods made with oats
- foods such as chili or split pea soup that contain dried beans and peas
- lentils
- apples
- pears
- citrus fruits
Cautions
- Please talk to your doctor for further information
Interactions
- Please consult your nutritionist
Other names
n/a
References
Source: Myfooddiary, http://www.myfooddiary.com/resources/ask_the_expert/soluble_insoluble_fiber.asp
WebMD, http://www.webmd.com/diet/insoluble-soluble-fiber
Diet, http://www.diet.com/g/highfiber-diet